Just got my ngage


VirtuaLeech

Active Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2003
Messages
571
Got my ngage a few days ago and this is what i think of it:

My first impressions was: Wow, this is one complete package.

The "gamedeck" (as nokia likes to call it) can act as a phone, an MP3/AAC player, a radio, a real-one video player, a memo recorder (can also used to record from the builtin radio or your hifi set), a java games machine, a series 60 symbian device and a ngage games device. It support GPRS, email and has Bluetooth and USB.

The hardware is also complete. In the box are: the gamedeck, a stereo headset, a adapter to use your own headphone, an adapter to record from any audio source and a 32MB MMC card with one game preinstalled.

The software on the gamedeck is excellent and well thought out. For example when using the mp3 player and your phone rings, one touch of the headset button will pause the MP3 player, take your call, then when your done conitues the MP3. Or recordings from the radio contiune in the background when your making a call.

There is already lots of java and series 60 software, so you can start downloading right away. File transfer to the ngage can be done through USB. I think it even uses the same cable as the GP32.

On the hardware front the backlit screen is very good and the speaker is excellent (and VERY LOUD). But the calling part is a little less thought out then the rest of the machine. The biggest trouble when calling is not that you may look like an idiot (i really dont care about that) but holding the phone. The best way to hold it seems to be by putting you fingers all over the screen. Nokia tried to solve the calling problem by including a free headset and including a handsfree option on the phone. But still a major flaw.
The placement of the MMC is not that big of a problem. The backside snaps off easilly. But since the ngage support MMC up to 512 MB and USB/BlueTooth you rarely need to change the MMC.

Battery life seems very short to me. I use it a lot now since it is new but I have to recharge every two or three days. On the other hands recharging takes about two or three hours (havent timed it exactly)

Now for the software. You can get Frodo (good without sound), a GB/GBC emulator (pretty good), a Spctrum emulator (not tested) a MOD player (based on CHN library) and lots of homebrew space invaders/pacman/etc clones. The specific ngage games I have seen so far are nice but nothing to write home about.

THE VERDICT:

Well, this depends on what you look at the system. If you look at it from a portable game device point it's nothing special (for now). The Nokia 3650 can already play all java and series 60 software and also has MMC support. The ngage games itself are no match for GBA and the online options don't amount to very much yet. To succeed as a games machine they realy need an online killer app.

When you look at it from a jack-off-all-trades it is really cool. Like I said before you can call with it, listen to the radio, play MP3, play java/series 60/ngage games, WAP over GPRS, read email and their are also all sorts of good PDA like applications for it.

So my final verdict is: Despite a few flaws I really like it, but as a games device it can't compare to GP32, GBA, TapWave and probably the PSP.

If you got any questions about the ngage, feel free to ask them and I will try to answer them.
 
My first impression was that the screen was indeed very small. But when playing games I hardly noticed it. The screen is very sharp and well lit.
Strangly enough the screen format (vertical) is very well suited for games where you move into the screen (racers and FPS games). Also vertical oriented classics like Puzzle Bobble and shooters look very nice.
 
Thanks for the impressions, i recently ordered one due to finding a nice price and being impressed on the graphical leap over gba(played tony hawks in my local game shop, very very nice).

Can i ask you or a few links to some resorce site, like gp32x is to the gp32, as i am having a bit of trouble finding them.

And lastly, hows the game that comes with it, just breif impressions.
 
I got my N-gage a few days ago the day it came out(some people say the games suck......but im still hooked...but hooked more to the gp32).
Its mp3 player is alot better than the gp32 one...Finally Real one files...I dusted off my old dbz(jap,uncut)disks(3 disk only cause each eps is 12MB!!!!!)And finally get to play it anywere.
 
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